A typical test head has thirty-six zero-insertion force connectors between the PEFPIF boards on the PE modules and the zero-insertion force flex circuit edge cards on a probe card. When mounting a probe card onto an ATE system, which uses ZIF connectors for the DUT interface, an appropriate mating surface has generally been created by wrapping a flex circuit around a plastic spine and connecting this spine to the probe card with an interposer or other connection technology.
FIG. 1 illustrates a high-speed connection assembly 100 for use between a device under test and automatic test equipment, such as an ZIF connector for use between a DUT board and a V5400 testhead. An exemplary high-speed connector is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 6,833,696 entitled Methods and Apparatus for Creating a High Speed Connection Between A Device Under Test And Automatic Test Equipment by Roger Sinsheimer et al. An exemplary automatic test equipment is the V5400 by Agilent Technologies, Inc. of Palo Alto, CA.
High-speed connection assembly 100 may include a DUT assembly or probe card 102 for translating electrical signals from a board 104 via a plurality of flex circuits 105 to a ZIF connection mechanism 106 with a plurality of clamping connectors 108 radially disposed around the connection mechanism to align with flex circuits 105 on the probe card 102.
The flex circuit has several limiting features when utilized as a connector means, including layer count. Flex circuits are currently limited to six layers, which limits the density of signals. Flex circuits are also currently limited in their electrical bandwidth. That is, a flex circuit is a lossy transmission line. Flex circuits are also limited in their mechanical dimensions, which limits the rows of contacts that a flex circuit can have between the probe card and the ATE system.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved connection means between a probe card and an ATE system that uses XZIF connectors.